Cullman’s downtown dining scene is about to get a boost, as Dreher’s Cocktail Bar & Restaurant officially opens its doors today in the historic First Avenue space formerly occupied by Brothers Kitchen & Pourhouse.

Styled as the kind of place, in the words of manager Madelyn Rocks, that “feels the way that bourbon tastes,” Dreher’s is the brainchild of local restaurateur and spirits aficionado Christine Chamblee and business partners Kolby Lawrence and Joseph Fisher.

Featuring a simply-presented menu from executive chef Cooper Ramsey alongside a full-service bar that’s literally stocked to the ceiling, Dreher’s takes its name from the historic Dreher’s & Co. furniture store that occupied the same site until it was destroyed by fire in 1892.

Chamblee describes the menu as a carefully-curated blend of “southern dishes and flavors transformed for a fast-casual environment;” one that puts a special emphasis on simplicity and presentation. “We aren’t trying to make fancy food — we’re making good food,” she says.

Walking into the new restaurant might sweep you back to the 1920s. Though it’s not an ostentatious room, crisp details define the narrow, lengthy space, highlighted by the marble-topped bar, high-walled liquor shelving lit in a cascade of colors, and well-placed pieces of metal brightwork that gleam under the high-ceilinged restaurant’s drop lighting.

“When we started talking about design, the Art Deco style came up a lot,” says Rocks. “[Local interior designer] Amy Wood came up with the design, and she really nailed the look that we were going for.”

After a series of successful trial runs at soft-opening events through the past week and a public-facing, limited-menu opening for 2nd Fridays, Dreher’s is finally ready for its proper official start. Drop by the restaurant beginning today, and be sure to check out Dreher’s Facebook (Dreher’s) and Instagram page (@dreherscullman) for more information, including hours, tons of photos, and, of course, a peek at the menu.